Marchione secures victory, Spa City turns down government change

Saratoga  Incumbents hoping for another term representing the people of Saratoga County got their wishes this Election Day, as voters sent familiar faces back to the Assembly and Senate.

The notable exception was in the 43rd Senate District, where Republican Kathleen Marchione will be taking up residence in Roy McDonald’s former seat after she pulled out a hair’s-width victory over the longtime politico in a September primary. Marchione handily defeated Democrat Robin Andrews in the general election. With three-quarters of the vote counted she led with 47 percent of the vote.

Despite a suspension of his campaign McDonald still garnered nearly 16,000 votes, or 16 percent, on the Independence line, which took steam away from Marchione but did not deny her victory. The Republican primary between the two was at times heated, and oftentimes revolved around McDonald’s vote in favor of same-sex marriage, which put him on the outs with some area Republicans.

In the 49th Senate Distict, which now encompasses Milton, Ballston, Clifton Park and Malta, Republican Hugh Farley coasted to winning his 19th term in the Senate by taking nearly 80 percent of the voter over Democrat and first-time candidate Madelyn Thorne, with three-quarters of the vote counted.

On the Assembly side, incumbents also took the night. In the 112th Assembly District, covering Milton, Ballston, Clifton Park and Halfmoon, Republican Jim Tedisco collected a comfortable victory over Democrat Michele Draves. With 88 percent of the vote in, he garnered nearly 35,000 votes to Draves' 16,000.

Northwards, in the neighboring 113th Assembly District, encompassing Malta, Saratoga Springs and Wilton, things were much tighter between Assemblyman Tony Jordan and Democrat Carrie Woerner. With the vote all but tabulated, Jordan won a third term in office with 25,782 votes to Woerner's 23,058 votes. The two were nearly neck and neck in Saratoga County, while Jordan pulled ahead in neighboring Washington County.

In the City of Saratoga Springs, voters also had a say on the format of local government. A proposition to switch from the existing charter-style government — in which the City Council is comprised of five department heads, each with an equal vote — to a city manager style of government — in which the council would appoint a manger to handle day-to-day operations — was defeated by a goodly margin of 5,991 to 4,423.